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Special Issue "Observations and Management of Livestock Production Emissions"

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A special issue of Atmosphere (ISSN 2073-4433). This special issue belongs to the section "Air Quality".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 28 April 2023 | Viewed by 5452

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. David Janke

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Guest Editor

Department Engineering for Livestock Management, Leibniz Institute for Agricultural Engineering and Bioeconomy (ATB), Max-Eyth-Allee 100, 14469 Potsdam, Germany
Interests: ammonia and GHG emissions; natural ventilation; barn climate; wind tunnel modeling; computational fluid dynamics; fluid mechanics

Dr. Sabrina Hempel

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Guest Editor

Department Engineering for Livestock Management, Leibniz Institute for Agricultural Engineering and Bioeconomy (ATB), Max-Eyth-Allee 100, 14469 Potsdam, Germany
Interests: livestock emissions; naturally ventilated housing; air exchange; airflow and dispersion pattern; barn climate; time series analysis; mathematic modelling; sustainable livestock production; climate change
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Prof. Dr. Chaoyuan Wang

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Guest Editor

Department of Agricultural Structure and Bioenvironmental Engineering, College of Water Resources and Civil Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China
Interests: air emission quantification and mitigation; indoor environmental quality control; animal behaviour monitoring

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Among the great challenges of our century are the supply of a fast growing world population with high quantity and quality nutrient needs, and the combat against air pollution and climate change including their negative impacts on environmental, animal and human health. Livestock farming plays a central role in this context as it produces and utilizes nutrients and waste. Contemporary husbandry systems are associated with considerable emissions of greenhouse gases and aerosols as well as extensive nitrogen losses to the environment. By that, they contribute essentially to climate change, air pollution and changes in plant coverage including loss of biodiversity. Conversely, livestock farming is also considerably affected by the changing climate, for the systems where natural ventilation is involved in particularly. Balancing the trade-offs between environmental, animal and human health requires detailed observations of emissions and co-variables or co-factors to shape the emission dynamics. The evaluation of emission reduction strategies must start with a reliable quantification on pollutant gas emissions. These strategies can include optimization of the airflow by adapting the opening geometries, conditioning the air (targeting on acceleration and cooling above the animals), adjusting the cleaning intervals, modifying the feed composition, etc. A sustainable management of livestock production requires the availability of a data infrastructure to monitor representative emission values and co-variables as well as a set of digital models that describe the complex interactions and permit adequate and timely control.

This special issue invites contributions on strategies and approaches to monitor and/or predict emissions of greenhouse gases, ammonia, bioaerosols or other air pollutants. The contributions related to measurement and/or prediction of co-variable / co-factors for emission modelling, such as indoor climate, feed composition, intake and digestibility, microbiological activity, heat stress, etc., are also very welcome. Studies that address the interrelation between pollutant emissions from livestock husbandry and animal health and welfare or that assess emission mitigation strategies are of particular interests.

Dr. David Janke
Dr. Sabrina Hempel
Prof. Dr. Chaoyuan Wang
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Atmosphere is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2000 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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Open AccessArticle

Effects of Feeding a Commercial Starch Binding Agent during Heat Stress on Enteric Methane Emission, Rumen Volatile Fatty Acid Contents, and Diet Digestibility of Merino Lambs

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Atmosphere 2023, 14(3), 605; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos14030605 - 22 Mar 2023

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Abstract

Twenty-four Merino lambs were allocated to three dietary treatment groups to determine the effects of a dietary starch and protein binding agent and heat stress on methane (CH₄) emissions and rumen parameters. The diets were a wheat-based diet (WD), a 2% Bioprotect™ (Bioprotect™, RealisticAgri, Rutland, UK) treated wheat-based diet (BD), and a maize-based diet (MD) for 3 periods of 1-week duration. During Period 1 (P1) the lambs were maintained under thermoneutral conditions and at a 1.7 × Maintenance (M) level. During P2 and P3, the lambs were maintained under cyclic heat stress conditions and fed at 1.7 × M and 2.0 × M, respectively. Total CH₄ production was lower for the BD diet than the WD diet, which in turn was lower than the MD diet (p < 0.001). Total CH₄ production was lower during P2 than P1 with P3 intermediate (p = 0.04). Rumen total volatile fatty acid (TVFA) concentrations were higher for the WD diet than the MD diet with the BD diet intermediate (p = 0.01). Rumen TVFA concentrations were lower during heat stress than under thermoneutral conditions (p < 0.001). Whole tract starch digestibility was higher for the BD and WD diets than the MD diet (p < 0.001). In conclusion, feeding Merino lambs the BD diet reduces CH₄ emissions without reducing starch digestibility. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Observations and Management of Livestock Production Emissions)

Open AccessArticle

Assessment of Odour and Ammonia Impacts for a Novel Fattening Piggery Tailored for Animal Welfare and Low Emission Rates

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Atmosphere 2023, 14(1), 75; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos14010075 - 30 Dec 2022

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Abstract

According to the European Commission, Austria is obliged to reduce ammonia emissions by 12% between 2005 and 2030. Agriculture, in particular livestock buildings and the spreading of manure, is the predominant source of ammonia in most countries, calling for stringent mitigation measures in this area. This study investigated a combination of measures implemented in a newly constructed fattening piggery in Styria (Austria) for reducing ammonia, particulate matter (not subject of this publication), and odour emissions. Additionally, the livestock building should meet standards to enhance animal welfare as well. Based on observed ammonia concentrations at several locations in the vicinity of the farm as well as field inspections for odour according to EN 16841-1, corresponding emission factors were derived using the Lagrangian particle model GRAL and in situ measurements of meteorology. The resulting emission factor for ammonia was found to be 80% lower compared to the standard emission factor of 3.64 kg a⁻¹ for fattening piggeries according to the German guideline VDI 3894-1. Moreover, the emission factor for odour was 95% lower than the standard factor of 0.180 ou_E kg⁻¹ s⁻¹ used in Styria for conventional fattening piggeries without any reduction techniques. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Observations and Management of Livestock Production Emissions)

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Open AccessArticle

Comparison of the Three Approaches for Determining Ammonia Emissions in the Intensive Breeding of Fattening Pigs with Respect to the Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control: Case Study for the Czech Republic

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Atmosphere 2022, 13(12), 2084; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos13122084 - 10 Dec 2022

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Abstract

This study compares three approaches in the monitoring of ammonia (NH₃) emissions from intensive breeding of fattening pigs in relation to compliance with the standards arising from the requirements of Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control (IPPC) used in the Czech Republic. The first approach was based on the determination of NH₃ emissions calculation by measurement using reduced sampling days focused on the final fattening phase. The second approach was based on the determination of NH₃ emissions calculation by measurement respecting the Best Reference Document for Intensive Rearing of Poultry or Pig (BREF IRPP) and relevant best available techniques (BAT) conclusions under Directive 2010/75/EU. The third approach was based on estimation by using emission factors respecting BREF IRPP and Methodological Instruction of the Air Protection Department of the Czech Republic. The results show that the determined emission factors in the Czech Republic may not always reflect the actual production of NH₃ emissions even when reduced by the applied BAT. Determination of NH₃ emissions calculation by measurement respecting BREF IRPP represents the predominant phases of fattening (refinement) and microclimatic conditions; however, it is time and money-consuming. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Observations and Management of Livestock Production Emissions)

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Open AccessArticle

Methane, Nitrous Oxide, and Ammonia Emissions on Dairy Farms in Spain with or without Bio-Activator Treatment

Macarena San Martin Ruiz

Jesús Eugenio González Puelles

Juan Herra Bogantes

William Rivera-Méndez

Martin Reiser

and

Martin Kranert

Atmosphere 2022, 13(6), 893; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos13060893 - 31 May 2022

Viewed by 1713

Abstract

Intensive livestock farming substantially impacts the environment, especially farm and slurry management. Slurries are significant sources of greenhouse gases and ammonia. The present study was conducted in an intensive livestock production system in Galicia, Spain. The measurements were taken at six different farms in that region along with one control using common management practices in Galicia without the addition of a bio-activator. This study aimed to quantify GHGs and NH₃ fluxes and their reductions during slurry treatment using a dynamic chamber through FTIR analysis and to examine the potential of usage of bio-activators for slurry management. In addition, gas concentrations were measured at the barns and compared with their slurry management and architectural volume to obtain influences on their management and the architectural volume of the barns. Additionally, the effects of using a bio-activator in the barns inside the facility areas were addressed. Moreover, qPCR analysis was conducted to understand the correlations between syncoms and methanogen populations when a bio-activator is added to the slurry with at least a 30% reduction in methanogenic populations. The outcomes suggest encouraging results for GHG reductions in the livestock sector, giving farmers future options for climate change mitigation among their standard practices. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Observations and Management of Livestock Production Emissions)

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Review

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Open AccessReview

Anaerobic Digestion and Alternative Manure Management Technologies for Methane Emissions Mitigation on Californian Dairies

Hamed M. El Mashad

Tyler J. Barzee

Roberta Brancher Franco

Ruihong Zhang

Stephen Kaffka

and

Frank Mitloehner

Atmosphere 2023, 14(1), 120; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos14010120 - 05 Jan 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1079

Abstract

California is the leading dairy state in the United States. The total sale of milk and its products represents about $6.3 billion annually out of the $50 billion generated from all agricultural production in the state. However, methane emissions from dairy manure and enteric fermentation represented nearly half of all annual methane emissions in California, with dairy manure accounting for 25%, and enteric fermentation for 20%. Methane emissions originating from manure are produced primarily from anaerobic settling basins and lagoons, which are the most common manure storage systems in the state. To achieve sustainability on dairy farms and to comply with state regulations for air and climate pollutants, dairy farms have implemented technologies such as anaerobic digestion and alternative manure management technologies. In addition, governmental incentive programs have been deployed to partially fund these technologies for eligible dairies in the state. The present article reviews the design and operations, effectiveness, and economics of the most common technologies employed in Californian dairies in reducing methane emissions. The technologies studied include anaerobic digesters, mechanical separators, compost-bedded pack barns, manure vacuuming followed by drying, and weeping walls. The current status and estimated effectiveness of government incentive programs are reviewed and recommendations for improvements presented. Finally, future trends and research needs for mitigating the emissions in Californian dairies are identified. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Observations and Management of Livestock Production Emissions)

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Open AccessReview

A Review: Comparison of Approaches to the Approval Process and Methodology for Estimation of Ammonia Emissions from Livestock Farms under IPPC

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Atmosphere 2022, 13(12), 2006; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos13122006 - 29 Nov 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 798

Abstract

Ammonia (NH₃) emissions have a negative impact on the welfare of breeding animals, human health, and the environment. These influences of modern intensive agriculture have led to numerous protocols, national regulations, and European Directives. Following previous regulatory measures, the Commission Implementing Decision European Union (EU) 2017/302 on 15 February 2017 has established best available technique (BAT) conclusions, under Directive 2010/75/EU of the European Parliament and the Council, for the intensive rearing of poultry and pigs. This applies to intensive poultry and pig producers with a capacity of over 40,000 poultry, 750 sows, or 2000 fattening pigs. Due to the application of this directive, air emissions have been reduced by between 40% and 75% over the last 15 years. The integrated permit monitors the entire environmental burden of the farm on its surroundings (air pollution, water, soil pollution, waste production, energy use). This review aims to provide a critical overview of how member states (including the United Kingdom) are approaching the implementation of IPPC (Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control) and the conclusions of BAT in their legislation and related documents, and how they monitor NH₃ emissions from intensive livestock farming. The data for this review were obtained from 2019 to 2020. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Observations and Management of Livestock Production Emissions)

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